INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
Context
- 2020 marked the 100 years of the discovery of Indus Valley Civilization (IVC).
- And a new study in the recent past showed that dairy products were being produced by the Harappans as far back as 2500 BCE.
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Indus Valley Civilization |
Features |
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Period |
Bronze Age |
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Date |
3300 BC – 1300 BC |
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Geographical Range |
Indus River Basin; NW India & Eastern Pakistan |
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Preceded by |
Mehrgarh |
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Succeeded by |
Painted Grey Ware Culture |
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Noted for |
Urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, clusters of large non-residential buildings, and new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin) |
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Status |
UNESCO World Heritage Site |
Phases
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Archaeological Findings
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Harappa |
Cemetery H & R37; Coffin burial; Phallus worship; Mother goddess, Bullock Carts, Single Roomed Barracks, Granaries, Sandstone Steatite of a youth with muscular body, Bronze Image of a Dog Attacking a Deer, Sandstone Girl Dancer, Reserved slip ware of Mesopotamian Type |
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Mohenjo-Daro |
Prepared garments, Pashupati seal, Bronze statue of a dancing girl, Ivory weight balance, The Great Bath, The Great Granary, Priest king statue (of steatite), human skeleton huddled together |
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Kalibangan |
Lower fortified town, Fire Altar, Boustrophedon style writing, Wooden drainage, Copper ox, Evidence of earthquake, Wooden plough, Camel’s bone, 6 types of pottery |
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Lothal |
Dockyard, Port Town, Evidence of Rice, Fire Altar, Ivory weight balance, Copper dog. |
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Rangpur |
Evidence of Rice |
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Surkotada |
Horse bone, stone covered grave, Human ashes |
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Chanhudaro |
Bangle factory, Ink pot, only city without citadel, Carts with seated driver, Small Pot Shell Ornament Makers Factory, Metal Workers Factory, Bead Making Factory Shell Ornament Makers Factory |
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Balakot |
Bangle Factory |
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Daimabad |
Bronze Buffalo, Copper Rhinoceros, Copper Elephant |
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Amri |
Remains of Rhinoceros |
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Ropar |
Dog buried with humans, steatite seal, oval pit burials. |
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Banawali |
Oval shaped settlement, only city with radial streets, toy plough |
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Dholavira |
Only site to be divided into three parts, giant water reservoir, unique water harnessing system, Dam, Embankments, stadium, rock – cut architecture |
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Balakot |
Shell Ornament makers Factory |
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Rakhigarhi |
Skeletons of a 4,500-old woman, Clay plough |
Note: Indus Valley Script has not yet been deciphered. 70% of the city is yet to be excavated.
Recent Findings
- After studying 59 shards of pottery from Kotada Bhadli, in present-day Gujarat, researchers showed the earliest direct evidence of dairy product processing in IVC.
- This throws fresh light on the rural economy of the civilization.
- Researchers also confirmed the presence of cattle, water buffalo, goat, cow and sheep found in the area.
- Until now, there was no evidence of cow from IVC.
- Cows and water buffalo consumed millets, while sheep and goats ate nearby grass and leaves.
- Most of the cattle and water-buffalo died at an older age, suggesting they could have been raised for milk.
- Whereas the majority of goat/sheep died when they were young, indicating they could have been used for meat.
- Milk was produced in surplus so that it could be exchanged and there could have been some kind of trade between settlements.
- This could have given rise to an industrial level of dairy exploitation.
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